Alice
Beads of sweat rolled ever so slowly down dark skin before being flicked away in annoyance. Tufts of hair fluff and flare everywhere at the rapid, jerky movement, while small hands steadily work at yanking stubborn weeds out of their place in the garden in front of her.
It was just her luck she'd taken one of the toughest jobs right now. Though to be fair, every job was getting more difficult by the day.
This one though….weeding an overgrown garden in the middle of July heat….she really was desperate.
She'd been at this for a few hours at least; a few hours of yanking weeds and fixing really shitty and ill-informed gardening practices.
It was aggravating.
It was humiliating.
Sighing as the last of the stubborn weeds puts up a fight before conceding defeat, she slowly begins to stand. She takes it a few inches at time, already feeling the dizziness making the edges of her vision fuzzy and weakness making her muscles shake. It wasn't anything new, but worryingly it hadn't gone away, not in a while.
She probably should see a doctor or something.
Too bad she couldn't afford it.
By the time she's completely upright, her breath is mostly gone and the back of her head aches and throbs. A distant call of the name she'd given has her turning her body carefully and dusting her hands on her thighs before swiping an arm across her forehead. She could still feel the sweat soaking her clothes and sticking her hair to her face and neck; it was irritating and frustrating.
Huffing, she rolls her shoulders stiffly, a bone deep weariness settling within.
Damn whoever her parents were for having her in this humid southern hell-hole.
Pasting on a small smile, Alice reluctantly greets the older woman briskly marching towards her, lips pulled up in an equally fake smile. Before she even has the chance to gesture to the now weed free garden, a large glass of water and a small wad of cash is thrust into her hands.
Squirming internally, she knows that the woman wants her gone but seems bound by some moral code to at least try to seem patient and polite. Alice knows how to read people though; this woman can't wait to be rid of her. She doesn't blame her, not really, Alice clearly looks like someone who's been on the streets for a while. It was pure luck the woman ever considered to let her do some manual labor for a little bit of cash.
And the stern suggestion of her husband.
This woman's misplaced guilt was Alice's gain.
The glass of water was pleasantly cool against the skin of her hand, though beads of perspiration were already forming and leaking down it. Downing it in a few swallows, Alice quietly mutters a thanks and passes it back to the woman who hesitantly grabs it, thinly veiled distaste crinkling her nose.
Ignoring the reaction, Alice hastily stuffs the slightly damp money into her pocket and swings her beat-up backpack onto her shoulder. Without another word, she leaves the yard and lets herself fade back into the streets.
It was sweltering, little mirages of heat rising from the sun-warmed roads and sidewalks. In short, it was a special kind of misery.
More and more rivulets of sweat slid down her back and sides, hair plastering against her head even more as the heat begins to intensify. A churning in her gut tells her that she probably should have taken more time to sip at the water slowly versus downing it so quickly. Cold water plus an overheated body and environment doesn't make for a good mix.
Alice hated this city, hated the heat that always seemed to dominate it.
Again she curses her unknown parents.
She could barely remember a time where she hadn't had to live like this. And wasn't that a sad twist of fate, sixteen and not able to remember ever having a home.
A true home.
Not one of those shitty foster homes she bounced to and from.
Enough thinking about that though. It was enough to make a person depressed or something, and Alice couldn't afford to be depressed, there was too much to do. She really needed a shower and some food and with the money in her pocket, that was an assurance for tonight at least.
And she knew just where to go to get a quick shower and some warm food.
Shaking herself, she quickly winds her way through alleyways and across busy intersections.
It isn't long before she arrives at a combined gas station and diner, its name so faded only a stylized "M" remains. From what she's heard, it used to be some kind of popular truck stop for travelers. Not anymore though, the years had definitely wore on this place. Especially after the original owner passed away.
Slightly run down though it may be, it's one of the only places where Alice feels safe enough to spend any significant time in.
Panting softly as she crosses the lot, she has to pause a few times as her vision and head begin to swim. The heat rising from the cracked pavement doesn't help the feeling. It's a blessing when she opens the main door to the station, and a cool waft of air dances over her soaked skin. It wasn't the coolest inside, it never was, the AC very nearly run into the ground, but it was much more tolerable than outside.
Waving a subdued greeting to the on duty cashier, Stacy from the way she rolled her hand and barely glanced up, Alice wound her way slowly toward the showers. Grabbing one of the towels set off to the side in a small cabinet, she raises her voice to be heard over the radio playing near the other girl, "I'm going in stall four!"
She barely hears the grunted "Sure" over the clacking of the air conditioner and upbeat pop music on the radio.
Entering a small door, Alice wastes no time locking it and beginning to strip off her things, gingerly taking the money from her pocket and stowing it on an out of the way shelf. With the money safe from getting even wetter, she tosses her sweat soaked clothes ahead of her.
There's a laundry mat down the way a little, but….Alice is stingy with her money. It was easier to just wash her clothes when she showered. Cheaper in the long run too.
Plus she didn't have to stay in one spot for too long.
She preferred it that way.
Popping her bag open, she digs through until she has all she needs to complete her shower. She's nearly out of the cheap shampoo and conditioner she uses, and she'll have to get more soap soon too, but for now she has what she needs. Showers are a rare luxury for her, one she intends to savor for as long as she can.
For thirty minutes she basks in the cool water, scrubbing at her skin, clothes, and hair, never quite feeling clean enough. By the time she's done, her skin has taken on a slightly rougher appearance because of all her scrubbing.
Climbing out and redressing feels like a chore, a burden, but with an aching stomach and weariness settling in deeper into her bones, food and a safe place to rest were fast becoming bigger priorities.
Fingers combing through damp hair, gently detangling it, Alice begins to gather it all up into a messy bun. Her fingers catch on snags and snarls, but she knows that doing it now would save her the hassle of having it tangle and get in the way later.
Grabbing her money and bag, wet clothes tucked in a plastic bag within it, she goes to pay for her shower and meander around the store, looking for soups and other food that would last a while. She'd get herself as much of that as she could before going into the diner for a quick meal.
It had been difficult at first to portion out just how much she could afford and still have money left over for a warm meal. More often than not she'd ended up not having enough to spend on more than what she could get in a can.
This time though…
The waitress in the diner gives her an unreadable look before telling her to sit where ever she'd like. The waitress, Mina, is never rude to her, but she can tell the woman knows that she's from the streets. Alice thinks she's probably seen it before….many times before.
Choosing one of the cheapest, most filling meals, Alice sighs in relief when both the food and the sugar from her sweet tea soothe the ache in her head. It's only as she's leaving to pay her bill does the waitress confirm what Alice already knew.
A plastic bag with a styra-foam box in it is shoved into her hands, the smell of food wafting out of it.
It leaves her speechless for a moment before she clutches it close possessively. Warily eyeing the woman, Alice finishes paying quickly and scurries out the door. She'd known Mina for a little over a year now and the woman had never snuck her food before.
After it's all said and done, she feels a bit better, though it's only temporary she knows. Laden with supplies, she leaves the diner with a fuller stomach, and more cause to be wary.
Tightening one hand on the strap of her bag, Alice hunches her shoulders warily and does her best to keep aware at all times. A single person like her attracts attention on this side of town if they aren't careful.
Alice learned that the hard way.
Forcing back any anxiety, she calmly wanders her way down the streets, feeling sleep begin to tug at her mind. Just a little more and she'd be able to curl up with the rest of her stuff and sleep. Weaving in and out of places, Alice frequently backtracks.
She won't let anyone follow her.
She won't.
Slowly the buildings begin to give way to a small, thickly wooded park, too grown up for any kids or parents to be really interested in. Pieces of playground equipment sit rusting and falling apart. Blinking tiredly, Alice finds her feet following a familiar path, winding through bushes and trees until a small campsite comes in view.
She was home.
She was finally home.
Allowing herself to drag her feet, she crosses to the tent and shoves her bag through the front flaps. Sitting back on her heels, she can feel the beginnings of more sweat starting to bead along her neck and back.
Sighing in defeat, Alice knows there's nothing she can do about the hellish weather.
Something begins to prickle at the base of her skull and Alice slowly sits up straight. The ambient noises around her have stopped, an eerie silence settling over the woods. The hairs on her arm and the back of her neck stand on end, it'd been a long time since the creatures that lived near her camp quieted themselves.
Something was horribly wrong.
Cold fear flowed its way down her arms and left her hands tingling and numb, clammy sweat beginning to dot her hands. Ice settled around her heart, and sunk slowly into her stomach, causing it to clench tightly.
For several tense seconds Alice thinks that maybe she's overreacting, that maybe her malnutrition has finally caught up to her and caused some sort of panic attack. Her thoughts and hopes are quickly dashed as loud, shuffling footsteps echo behind her. Twisting around slowly the color drained from Alice's face as a figure stumbles toward her from out of the trees. Slurred curses and snarls accompanying them.
Alice feels her lungs burning and realizes distantly that she'd stopped breathing sometime ago. Air rushed out of her tight throat as the figure's eyes flitted up from where they were watching their feet. Glazed over eyes meet her own and for a moment the man –because by now Alice knows even with the waning light— simply stares at her in slight confusion.
For a brief moment she thinks that the man will just turn and stumble back the way he came, that he'd made an honest mistake in his current state. But the way his face transforms into a large smile – terrifying and too full of teeth— makes Alice's heart stop completely.
Leering, the man stumbles closer, "He-eeey….he-eeey there sweet tha-aaang...what's...what's you doing out here all alone?"
The funny thing about fear—for most people anyway—is that they freeze. Their muscles seize in a reaction as ancient as humanity itself. There's nothing racing through Alice's mind…just time suspended between her and this man.
Time doesn't really stop though.
The man makes a lunge for Alice at the same time she tries to dive away from him. The result is both of them colliding and going down. Still sluggish with the fear, Alice is torn between her muscles freezing entirely and her brain trying to get them to move so that she can scramble away.
It gives the man enough time to paw at her shirt, ripping it halfway. Another surge of primal fear rips through Alice.
No!
No!
Nonononononononononono!
Distantly, Alice is aware that the man has managed to completely remove her pants. Distantly she's aware of a loud wailing and someone's arms windmilling everywhere.
Oh...that must be...me.
The man is muttering something above her, but she can't hear it. She wants him off, she wants him away. She does feel the blow to the side of her head, choking off her screams abruptly. Going completely limp, Alice can't find the strength to move, even as a hand snakes under her panties.
I don't want this.
Please God I don't want this.
Someone...someone...some...one…
An..y..one?
